True Colours Replica Flags Debut at the Museum

The final stitches have been sewn. The grommets have been added. And the True Colours Flag Project is officially ready to fly!

The Museum did just that, debuting the handsewn, replica "suit of colours," the full set of flags carried by ships during the Revolutionary War, over Flag Day weekend, June 10-14, at the Museum. While the weekend's inclement weather brought the flags inside, the debut was no less spectacular.

Take a look below through photos and behind-the-scenes moments from the True Colours debut!

Flags this big, this colorful, and this well-constructed don't just come out of nowhere, though. A huge thank you to the team of seamstresses — Kim Praria, Kirsten Hammerstrom, Kaitlin Healy, Ruth Hodges, Nastassia Parker, Nicole Rudolph, Gabriela Salvador, Jana Violante, and Hannah Wallace as well as Elise D'Avella, Jennifer Gray, and Carol Spacht of the Betsy Ross House — who banded together from all over the region to bring this project to life.

Plus, with so many of our talented makers close by, we're able to welcome many of them to the Museum for demos throughout the summer. If you visited over Flag Day weekend, you may have run into Jana or Ruth. In the coming weeks, we're excited to welcome Kaitlin Healy (June 26, July 7, July 17, and Aug. 24), Kim Praria (June 27 and July 11), and Kirsten Hammerstrom (July 3). Stay tuned for additional dates and surprise visits!

Join the Museum throughout A Revolutionary Summer for special events and exhibits, including the True Colours Flag Project and our special exhibition, Flags and Founding Documents, 1776-Today, that offer visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore the American Revolution's ongoing relevance. Plus, don't miss the True Colours flags flying once again over our weeklong Fourth of July events and programming.

The True Colours Flag Project has been made possible by sponsorship provided by The Color Guard of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution.